Madi has spent the pas few months practicing for her big Winter 2010 dance performance at the Civic Auditorium. What can we say, she had a blast and did awesome! Post recital dinner consisted of her favorite, Mac N Cheese, and a big fat hot fudge sundae. Way to go Mads!
He was a bit nervous beforehand but pretty much aced it once at the ivories.
Mark Holbrook tearing it up
Scott "Turbo" Stevens doing the avalanche test pit honors.
Fresh off the sled tow, skinning to the ridge on the right of frame.
Palisades Reservoir
Mark salivating before the initial drop-in.
Madeline and her sweet new dollhouse
Pics from Halloween weekend. The kids had a blast, Brittany rocked the house in her costume and I got sick from moldy grapes (but managed to make my killer stew).
Oh, and although they didn't show up in the last picture on this post, the cows have come home…the annual official mark of the end of summer.
Starting up Chip off the Old Block, trying for the onsight. Note: "trying".
Onsight of Twinkle Toes.
Troy "Bender" Neu cracking some un-P.C. joke before the send of Chip.
Just below the anchors on the fun ending
The Blackfoot River seen from Rapid Wall.
Ethan and thunderstorm. Harkness Canyon.
Chip off the Old Block, .12a, Massacre Rocks.
Madeline and one of her many, many,
Oodles of chossy limestone high above Wolverine Canyon.
We love you "Chickeedee"!
Yesterday Ethan had the day off from school and wanted an "adventure". I've been wanting to check out Harkness Canyon for climbing possibilities and had heard of a small amount of activity up there. So the "adventure" was on.
I've never been to the canyon before and was unclear on how to approach the cliffs up high. You can't drive to the end of the road due to private property. It is really unfortunate because these cliffs are way up there, at about 7,200' and the road is at 6,200' which would already make for quite the vertical haul if you were able to drive to the end of the road. But for now, (as far I as I could tell,) you have to hike the Boundary Trail which adds considerable more time as it meanders on switchbacks to accommodate mechanized vehicles (4 wheelers, dirt bikes). Even being unfamiliar to the area, I'd imagine that the land owner isn't going to change their mind just for climbers.
Nonetheless, I was blown away at the size, angles and, as far as I could tell, quality of limestone. I'm getting pretty good at being able to eye from afar what is decent limestone and what isn't in eastern Idaho and from what I could see, Harkness could deliver some seriousness…maybe too much!
Ethan did great on the hike in and out. He did take a mean header though as we were booking it out of there to get off the exposed ridge when the storm cell I had been keeping my eye on decided to switch directions and come straight at us with much fury. This morning his knee is banged up and swollen but he's a trooper and still wants to get back out there.
I hope I'm not stepping on anyone's toes by writing about Harkness but maybe there's a way to work with the land owner to allow a climber's trail that discretely winds it way through their property while staying out of view. The amount of good moderate-to-hard climbing possibilities there seem to warrant looking into it at least. The only thing is though is you still have to deal with the 1,000' uphill approach. Time to buy a lama.
